Bowling party awards: Party games and prize ideas

If a child in your household is busy counting down the days on the calendar until their birthday, it could be time to start planning the perfect children's birthday party.

A bowling party is a foolproof plan for children of all ages, and with the addition of laser skirmish, it's an extra exciting party destination.

Though bowling and laser skirmish will provide enough fun for any child, there are ways to make the day truly special - so why not personalise your party with special games and prizes?

Mini awards

Not every child can win the overall game, so why not create a series of mini prizes to reward skills other than winning? Recruit other parents as your panel of judges and choose a child to embody titles such as 'most improved bowler', 'most enthusiastic bowler', 'best team spirit', or 'most encouraging player'.

Bowling bingo

Another great idea is to create your own 'bowling bingo' squares. Play like regular bingo, but include squares with activities to complete such as 'strike', 'spare', 'four pins down' and even 'gutter ball'. That way, the best player may not necessarily win - and it's sure to provide plenty of laughter!

Race against time

If kids get bored between their turn on the lane, entertain them with a series of challenges as their team mates head up to bowl. As the person whose turn it is bowls the ball, challenge kids to spell their name backwards as fast as they can or name as many animals or fruit as they can before the ball hits the pins. Award mini prizes for the winners of each round.

Prizes

Every child will receive a goody bag at the event, but you can easily amp up the excitement with a couple of prizes during the game. Use your imagination to think up exciting kid-friendly awards. Lollies, books, costumes and DVDs all work well. To continue the theme, you could even provide a couple of bowling gift cards to the winners of your mini bowling games and awards!